Cursed Bitter

[Chris Craig]

Fhilo and I both brewed this recipe a few weeks ago.  Just got into the keg yesterday.  Yummy.

I called it Cursed Bitter because I've never managed to make a great bitter. Something always goes wrong.

Recipe: Cursed Bitter
Brewer: Chris Craig
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 27 l
Post Boil Volume: 23 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 21 l   
Bottling Volume: 21 l
Estimated OG: 1.057 SG
Estimated Color: 12.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 38.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
0.25 kg               Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM)                     Adjunct       1        4.8 %         
4.00 kg               Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)         Grain         2        76.9 %        
0.50 kg               Victory Malt (25.0 SRM)                  Grain         3        9.6 %         
0.30 kg               Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)    Grain         4        5.8 %         
0.15 kg               Caramel/Crystal Malt - 100L (100.0 SRM)  Grain         5        2.9 %         
50 g                  Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 Hop           6        29.9 IBUs     
25 g                  Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 20.0 Hop           7        9.1 IBUs      
1.00 Items            Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 5.0 mins)         Fining        8        -             
25 g                  Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 0.0  Hop           9        0.0 IBUs      
1.0 pkg               British Ale Yeast (Wyeast Labs #1098) [1 Yeast         10       -             


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 5.20 kg
----------------------------
Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Mash In           Add 15 l of water at 167 F              154 F         60 min        

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 18l) of 168 F water

[Brian_S]

Just out of curiosity, I see you throwing in a quarter kilo of rice hulls in all your batches wheather they have a hull-less grain or not.  

Any reason or just habit?

B

[Chris Craig]

Yeah, I don't know what it is, but I tend to get stuck sparges if I don't throw them in.  Perhaps it's my crush, although I have my barley crusher set at 39/1000ths of an inch (I used a feeler gauge), or perhaps its because I pump wort out of the mash tun.  In any case, this solved that problem.  For the extra dime, why not? I suspect it also speeds the lauter up when I wouldn't otherwise get a stuck sparge.